Waste energy recovery system

ABSTRACT

A waste energy recovery system includes a furnace for the combustion of charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture under lean oxygen, cooling water filters, dry purifiers, and an exhaust fan for creating a negative pressure in the furnace, the cooling water filters and the dry purifiers such that the loaded charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are smoldered in the furnace and decomposed into oil, smoke and dust mixed gas, enabling the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas to be cooled down and separated into crude tar and inflammable gas after entered the cooling water filters. Thus, the waste energy recovery system effectively separates smoke and oil for recycling without emitting soot or using any fuel material that can cause pollution hazards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to energy recovery technology and more particularly, to a waste energy recovery system for recovering energy from waste materials, which separates smoke and oil for recycling without emitting soot or using any fuel material that can cause pollution hazards.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the continuous development of modern technology, commercial and industrial prosperity keeps going. However, widely use of a variety of petrochemical products generates a large amount of hazardous wastes, complicating waste treatment. Because of lack in waste garbage disposal technology, severe secondary air pollution problems are seen in many countries around the word.

Mixed wastes produced by humans around the world may contain very complex organic and inorganic substances and a large amount of lethal bacteria and viruses. Except landfill and incineration, there is no other better ways to dispose of garbage. However, disposing of garbage by landfill or incineration is the planet's largest source of pollution because it can severely pollute soil, water and air, and its harm to the ecological environment of the earth and human life is unprecedented. Effective scientific waste treatment and pollution prevention job is now a matter that admits of no delay.

The current garbage incineration technique is to burn a fuel such as energy coal, gas, fuel oil, diesel and plasma, etc., to deliver air using an air blower, to neutralize smoke gas, and to remove solid matters from smoke gas by spraying water and using dust bag, to spray water, enabling treated gas to be discharged into the atmosphere. The resource utilization of this garbage incineration technique is only for power generation.

The average humidity of garbage is normally above 40%. Thus, the furnace internal temperature of the incinerator must be maintained at a very high level so that the garbage in the furnace can be fully incinerated. In order to accelerate incineration, a large amount of fuel gas, heavy oil, diesel, coal may be used for the incineration of garbage, resulting in a great waste and causing severe air pollution to impact people's health and to accelerate global warming.

Moreover, with the popularity of chemicals, incineration ash emitted by an incinerator contains a large amount of highly toxic aromatic organic chlorides or dioxins. If these harmful substances flow out of the incinerator into the atmosphere, it will directly impact the natural environment or human health, causing a huge social problem.

Further, hydrogen chloride (HCl), oxygen (O₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) generated after incineration can be synthesized with heavy metals or residual carbon to generate toxic dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, leading to huge social problems. However, the conventional garbage treatment incineration technique cannot solve the above-mentioned problems.

According to the WHO reports, environmental and air pollution has caused further serious problems affecting human survival. Therefore, the WHO requests all countries around the world to commit to pollution improvement for the slowing of global warming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a waste energy recovery system, which separates smoke and oil for recycling without emitting soot or using any fuel material that can cause pollution hazards.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a waste energy recovery system of the invention comprises a furnace, at least one cooling water filter, at least one dry purifier and an exhaust fan. The furnace, the at least one cooling water filter, the at least one dry purifier and the exhaust fan are connected in series by closed conduits. The exhaust fan is disposed near a rear end of the waste energy recovery system. The furnace comprises a waste inlet 11 located in a top side thereof for enabling the user to put wastes into the inside of the furnace, an unidirectional airtight cover covered the waste inlet 11, an ash outlet located in an opposing bottom side thereof for discharge of burnt charcoal and carbonized wastes, an unidirectional airtight cover covered the ash outlet, and at least one air inlet located in the periphery thereof. During application, charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are put in a bottom side inside the furnace for use as a fuel material, and then assorted wastes are put through the waste inlet 11 into the inside of the furnace, and then an igniter is inserted through one the air inlet into the inside of the furnace to ignite the charcoal, and at the same time, the exhaust fan is turned on to draw air and to create a negative pressure in the furnace, the at least one cooling water filter and the at least one dry purifier so that outside air is drawn through the at least one air inlet into the inside of the furnace, and thus, a limited volume of oxygen is provided for the combustion of the loaded charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture. Subject to the functioning of the exhaust fan to draw air and the functioning of the at least one air inlet of the furnace to intake air, the burning temperature in the furnace is over 1000° C., and the loaded charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are being smoldered in the furnace due to combustion under lean oxygen, and thus, the loaded wastes in contact with this temperature field of over 1000° C. are immediately decomposed into oil, smoke and dust mixed gas. At this time, a part of the tar in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is removed when the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas flows over the hot carbon layer of over 1000° C., and then the temperature of the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is lowered when the oil, smoke and dust flows through an internal raceway in the furnace into the at least one cooling water filter, and thus, the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is cooled down to room temperature and then separated into crude tar and inflammable gas after entered the at least one cooling water filter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a waste energy recovery system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the waste energy recovery system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operational flow chart explaining the operation of the waste energy recovery system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a waste energy recovery system in accordance with the present invention is shown. The waste energy recovery system comprises a furnace 1, at least one cooling water filter, at least one dry purifier and an exhaust fan 5. The aforesaid component parts are connected by closed conduits 7. The exhaust fan 5 is disposed near the rear end of the system. The furnace 1 comprises a waste inlet 11 located in a top side thereof for enabling the user to put wastes 15 into the inside of the furnace 1, an unidirectional airtight cover 111 covered the waste inlet 11, an ash outlet 12 located in an opposing bottom side thereof for discharge of burnt charcoal 141 and carbonized wastes 151, an unidirectional airtight cover 121 covered the ash outlet 12, and at least one air inlet 13 located in the periphery thereof. In application, put charcoal 14, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture in a bottom side inside the furnace 1 for use as a fuel material, and then put assorted wastes 15 through the waste inlet 11 into the inside of the furnace 1, and then insert an igniter through one air inlet 13 into the inside of the furnace 1 to ignite the charcoal 14, and at the same time, turn on the exhaust fan 5 to draw air, creating a negative pressure in the furnace 1, the at least one cooling water filter and the at least one dry purifier to suck in outside air through the air inlet 13 into the inside of the furnace 1, and thus a limited volume of oxygen can be provided for the combustion of the charcoal 14, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture. Subject to the functioning of the exhaust fan 5 to draw air and the functioning of the at least one air inlet 13 of the furnace 1 to intake air, the burning temperature in the furnace 1 can be over 1000° C., however, due to combustion under lean oxygen, the charcoal 14, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are being smoldered in the furnace 1. At this time, the wastes 15 in contact with this temperature field of over 1000° C. are immediately decomposed into oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16. A part of the tar in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 is removed when the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 flows over the hot carbon layer of over 1000° C., and then the temperature of the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 is lowered when it flows through the raceway in the furnace 1 into the at least one cooling water filter. After entered the at least one cooling water filter, the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 is cooled down to room temperature and then separated into crude tar 162 and inflammable gas 161.

When smoldered in the furnace 1 over 1000° C., the charcoal 14 and the top-sided wastes 15 in the furnace 1 are carbonized and maintained in shape, but not in ashes, and thus, the discharged burnt charcoal 141 can be used as a fuel for combustion again. If wood or waste wood furniture are put in the furnace 1 for combustion, it can be carbonized into burnt charcoal 141 for combustion again. After discharged out of the ash outlet 12, the carbonized wastes 151 can be crushed and used as organic fertilizers. Further, the quantity of the at least one cooling water filter and the quantity of the at least one dry purifier can be changed to fit different needs. In the present preferred embodiment, two cooling water filters and two dry purifiers are used.

Further, a cooling water circulating pipe 21 extends through the first cooling water filter 2 to guide a circulating flow of cooling water for heat exchange with the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 that flows from the furnace 1 through the closed conduit 7 into the first cooling water filter 2 in contact with the outside surface of the cooling water circulating pipe 21, enabling the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 to be cooled down. At this time, most crude tar 162 in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 is cooled down to fall to the bottom side in the first cooling water filter 2 and then guided out of the first cooling water filter 2 through a bottom-sided crude tar discharge pipe 23 for collection, and the rest oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 keeps flowing through another closed conduit 7 into the second cooling water filter 3. The second cooling water filter 3 has a cooling water pipe 31 connected thereto for guiding external cooling water 32 into the second cooling water filter 3 for direct contact with the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16. At this time, the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 is secondarily cooled down, causing the rest crude tar 162 in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas 16 to float on the surface of the cooling water 32 in the second cooling water filter 3 and then guided out of the second cooling water filter 3 through another crude tar discharge pipe 33 for collection, enabling the rest inflammable gas 161 to flow through another closed conduit 7 into the first dry purifier 4 where the filter material 41 in the first dry purifier 4 such as active carbon or HePa filter media removes micro dust and water moisture from the inflammable gas 16 to perform a primary drying and purification process. After through the primary drying and purification process, the inflammable gas 161 flows out of the first dry purifier 4 through another closed conduit 7 into the second dry purifier 6 where the filter material 61 in the second dry purifier 6 such as active carbon or HePa filter media removes micro dust and water moisture from the inflammable gas 161 to perform a secondary drying and purification process, and the purified inflammable gas 161 is then guided by gas pipes 62 to burner stoves for application. The purified inflammable gas 161 can also be converted by an external liquefaction equipment into liquid inflammable gas for storage and application. If the active carbons in the first dry purifier 4 and second dry purifier 6 have a large amount of impurities adhered thereto after a long period of application, they can be delivered to the furnace 1 and heat carbonized for repeated use.

Further, a manifold 22 is connected between the second cooling water filter 3 and the furnace 1. If the moisture content of the wastes 15 in the furnace 1, the manifold 22 can be opened to guide the heated cooling water 32 from the second cooling water filter 3 into the furnace 1 to increase the moisture content of the wastes 15.

Further, during combustion gasification of the mixed wastes 15, a large amount of superacidic gas mixture will be generated, causing smoke oil viscosity to plug the pipeline and to corrode the e furnace and pipe materials. In order to eliminate this problem, the invention adds 3% strongly alkaline lime powder to the mixed wastes 15. The content of the strongly alkaline lime powder can be adjusted subject to the amount of plastics in the mixed wastes 15. Further, the furnace 1 can be selected from the material group of class 310 stainless steel, acid resistant steels and firebricks for direct contact with the wastes 15.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A waste energy recovery system, comprising a furnace, at least one cooling water filter, at least one dry purifier and an exhaust fan, wherein: said furnace, said at least one cooling water filter, said at least one dry purifier and said exhaust fan are connected in series by closed conduits; said exhaust fan is disposed near a rear end of the waste energy recovery system; said furnace comprises a waste inlet located in a top side thereof for enabling the user to put wastes into the inside of said furnace, an unidirectional airtight cover covered said waste inlet, an ash outlet located in an opposing bottom side thereof for discharge of burnt charcoal and carbonized wastes, an unidirectional airtight cover covered said ash outlet, and at least one air inlet located in the periphery thereof; charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are put in a bottom side inside said furnace for use as a fuel material, and assorted wastes are put through said waste inlet into the inside of said furnace, and an igniter is inserted through one said air inlet into the inside of said furnace to ignite the charcoal, and at the same time, said exhaust fan is turned on to draw air and to create a negative pressure in said furnace, said at least one cooling water filter and said at least one dry purifier so that outside air is drawn through said at least one air inlet into the inside of said furnace and thus a limited volume of oxygen is provided for the combustion of the loaded charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture; subject to the functioning of said exhaust fan to draw air and the functioning of said at least one air inlet of said furnace to intake air, the burning temperature in said furnace is over 1000° C., and the loaded charcoal, tree branches, wood and/or waste wood furniture are being smoldered in said furnace due to combustion under lean oxygen, and thus, the loaded wastes in contact with this temperature field of over 1000° C. are immediately decomposed into oil, smoke and dust mixed gas, at this time, a part of the tar in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is removed when the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas flows over the hot carbon layer of over 1000° C., and then the temperature of the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is lowered when the oil, smoke and dust flows through an internal raceway in said furnace into said at least one cooling water filter, and thus, the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is cooled down to room temperature and then separated into crude tar and inflammable gas after entered said at least one cooling water filter.
 2. The waste energy recovery system as claimed in claim claim 1, wherein said at least one cooling water filter comprises a first cooling water filter and a second cooling water filter, said first cooling water filter having a cooling water circulating pipe inserted therethrough for the circulation of a cooling water so that the generated oil, smoke and dust mixed gas flows out of said furnace through one said closed conduit into said first cooling water filter to contact with the periphery of said cooling water circulating pipe for heat exchange where a major part of crude tar in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is cooled down to fall to a bottom side in said first cooling water filter and then to flow out of said first cooling water filter through a bottom-sided crude tar discharge pipe for collection.
 3. The waste energy recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dry purifier comprises a first dry purifier and a second dry purifier; said second cooling water filter has a cooling water pipe connected thereto for guiding external cooling water into said cooling water filter for direct contact with the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas so that the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas is secondarily cooled down, causing the rest crude tar in the oil, smoke and dust mixed gas to float on the surface of the cooling water in said second cooling water filter and then guided out of said second cooling water filter through another said crude tar discharge pipe for collection, and the rest inflammable gas flows through another said closed conduit into said first dry purifier where internal filter materials of active carbon and/or HePa filter media in said first dry purifier removes micro dust and water moisture from the inflammable gas to perform a primary drying and purification process, and then flows out of said first dry purifier through another said closed conduit into said second dry purifier where internal filter materials of active carbon and/or HePa filter media in said second dry purifier removes micro dust and water moisture from the inflammable gas to perform a secondary drying and purification process, and the purified inflammable gas is then guided by gas pipes to burner stoves for application or converted by an external liquefaction equipment into liquid inflammable gas for storage and application.
 4. The waste energy recovery system as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the active carbons in said first dry purifier have a large amount of impurities adhered thereto after a long period of application, the active carbons are removed from said second dry purifier and delivered to said furnace for heating and carbonization for repeated use.
 5. The waste energy recovery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein 3% strongly alkaline lime powder is added to the wastes been put in said furnace for combustion gasification to prevent generation of a large amount of superacidic gas mixture that is capable of causing smoke oil in gas to become viscous, plugging pipelines being connected to said furnace and corroding said furnace, and the percentage of the strongly alkaline lime powder is adjustable subject to the amount of plastics in the wastes been put in said furnace; said furnace is selected from the material group of class 310 stainless steel, acid resistant steels and firebricks for direct contact with the wastes.
 6. The waste energy recovery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a manifold connected between said second cooling water filter and said furnace, and openable to guide the heated cooling water from said second cooling water filter into said furnace to increase the moisture content of the wastes when the moisture content of the wastes in said furnace is low. 